Orange is the New Black

I've been working pretty hard lately which, as I'm sure I've harped on about a lot, leaves little time for things like sewing. Moreover, the weather just went supernova, bat shit, freakin' gorgeous. (No, one absolutely cannot count on it in May, but I'll take what I can get). The combo of delicious outdoor time and little other time has made for quite a shop-y Krissie.

In truth, I have a rationale. In truth, I always have a rationale, as should we all, so let's just pat ourselves on the back and get to the (regrettably mediocre) photos. Cuz I'm not spending time inside with a camera when I could be on every patio within a 3-block radius drinking Cava:

Fossil Preston Crossbody Monarch - $178 CDN

See this adorable expansion feature which I love on any bag? So good for when you need to put an umbrella in there...

Alas, this photo doesn't give you a true sense of the colour, but it shows the proportions.

The orange colour has been discontinued in this style, which shocks me because orange is the perfect neutral, in my books. Seriously, it goes with everything and it tells people that you have personality. Plus it's cheerful. I'm wearing this today with a pink/brown/orange tropical floral print dress (handmade years ago but I can't be bothered to link to it right now) and it looks terrific.

But back to the rationale... Y'all know I cannot carry around a large bag any longer. (Brief aside: You shouldn't be either. Eventually, it's bound to lead to pain, especially if you walk long distances...) But the mini-bag I purchased in the fall was just all kinds of "wrong shape" and slightly too small. I mean, you have to recognize that the bare minimum needs to come with you everyday. What I discovered, when I transferred all of the things I was carrying in my oddly rectangular Rudsak bag (and I must carry them), was that they all fit just beautifully in a square shape (10x10). Not to mention that the expandable zipper feature on the Preston is all kinds of genius, if not novel. I never seem to find a bag I like with this feature, however, so this is a lucky state of affairs.

What do I carry (in case you wonder)? Glasses case with either sun or regular glasses contained within. (Non-negotiable and my sunnies are absurdly large so this case is big.) Credit card holder. A bit of cash (not in wallet), subway token holder (size and shape of a business card), keys, work ID, wireless headphones and iPhone, lipstick, lipbalm. Yeah, that's it. You'd be amazed to find how difficult it is to fit this in a small bag.

I've never owned a Fossil bag before. I'd actually never heard of Fossil till I ran into the shop on Bloor Street the other day. I'm really not a "bag person" and I tend to stick to Roots, M0851 and Rudsak on the rare occasion when I do add to my little collection. But the brand seems to be of quality and the leather on this orange one is like butter. Totally gorgeous. Small complaint: I hate the name which, for some reason reminds me of Diesel (so not my scene). Could they not have come up with something prettier? As it happens, the store didn't have the orange colourway in stock, so I ended up buying it at the Bay (also so not my scene but if you've gone to the upgraded, Sak's-funded one on Queen Street it's looking pretty awesome-American). The Bay was having a Mother's Day sale and I convinced the SA to give me an extra 5% which saved me 20% in total. Not bad (and I wouldn't have got this discount at the flagship store).

So, that's my weekend treat - very practical AND affordable. Thoughts?

Curio (Potions For Skeptics): The Salves

The word salve, related in origin to the words salvage and save, is technically "an oily substance applied to the skin for the purpose of healing". It ain't sexy, but when needs must, a well-made salve is invaluable.

Sure, there are lots of ways to get to the end result. Mine is to infuse organic, food-grade olive oil with dried flowers (generally for 2-3 hours), to strain the infusion and then to add targeted essential oils (which together with the infusion create a soothing, highly moisturizing balm).

I'm always surprised by the whim of popularity. I mean, of my three salves (all of which have been very well-received, I'm so grateful to say), the Immortelle Salve is the one that's impossible to keep in stock:

Ingredients: Immortelle flowers, Organic Olea Europaea (Olive) Oil, Beeswax, Cananga Odorata (Ylang Ylang) Essential Oil, Helichrysum Angustifolium Essential Oil

Admittedly, immortelle flowers are a veritable metaphor for joy. Have you ever seen them in a field? They're these small, perfectly round, intricate balls of bright yellow. They retain their colour and shape forever (i.e. even when dried) which is one of the reasons why their component properties are touted, in the cosmetics industry, as "youth-restoring". It's also why the flower is sometimes called Everlasting... These flowers are also known, in the herbal scene, for being anti-inflammatory and analgesic - specifically as pertains to rheumatic pain. Happily, the essential oil of this flower (helichrysum) smells gorgeous, cuz I'd be using it either way. It is added to the mixture in the cool-down phase to complement the benefits of the flower.

I devised this salve specifically for my own needs, given my recent experience of myofascial pain, and I am very satisfied with the result. I apply a generous amount (1/2 - 1 tsp) on a relevant area and I gently massage it, for up to 5 minutes, in with a focus on counteracting fascial adhesion. BTW, I drink a glass of water after doing this, the rationale being that adhered connective tissue is almost always dehydrated. Water is believed to assist in the process of tissue restoration and the diminishment of pain.

I'd like to take a moment here to remind you that I'm not selling medicine. I'm sharing my experience - one which is professed by various natural / non-allopathic therapists (and which you may or may not choose to validate). This product is based on a herbal remedy that has been used for numerous generations, presumably successfully or it wouldn't still be around. But that's just my opinion. Use it as you will.

FYI, you can use this product around the eyes. (Fun related fact: There's a post on my newest potion - a hard-won, deliciously rich eye cream - coming soon). I'm not into putting olive oil near my eyes because I wear glasses and it tends to transfer to them. But some have told me that this salve great for that purpose.

Arnica Salve was my first foray into salve-making and I've "tested" this one more than any other - specifically as a massage medium to ameliorate that stupid knee injury I developed last autumn. (Note: Happily, it's dramatically improved, one might say almost gone, for many reasons - one of which, I believe, is the targeted massage of the tendon with this salve...) Unremarkable-looking, dried flowers produce a balm that is not quite as bright as immortelle's, but is nonetheless in the same colour-family.

Arnica has a wide reputation for diminishing muscle pain and is most often found in homeopathic format and in creams or gels. The Europeans love this stuff and, as a person who's been using arnica cream from the homeopath and the health food store, ever since I was a child, I can tell you I find it remarkably useful for all kinds of sprains and exercise-induced muscle tension. It's particularly effective, in my opinion, after gardening or for toddlers who like to bash into things. Side note: I carry arnica pellets (homeopathic remedy) and a travel-sized tin of arnica salve with me everywhere. You never know when you're going to need it - or to share it!

Ingredients: Arnica Montana Flowers, Organic Olea Europaea (Olive) Oil, Organic Beeswax, Origanum Majorana (Marjoram) Essential Oil, Citrus Aurantium Amara (Neroli) Essential Oil

Marjoram essential oil, added when the salve is cooling, is used by herbalists as an antispasmodic and analgesic. From a mood vantage point, the slightly sweet but verdant scent is known for chilling out even the most anxious nutcase. Ask me how I know. I've also added neroli essential oil, mainly because I love it and yeah, it smells terrific.

Please note that arnica should not be applied to broken skin. For broken skin, we have calendula salve...

Ingredients: Calendula Flowers, Organic Olea Europaea (Olive) Oil, Organic Beeswax, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Essential Oil, Citrus Aurantium Amara (Neroli) Essential Oil

Calendula Salve is the one for open booboos and skin conditions like eczema or ultra-dryness (I'm looking at you outdoorsy-types...). This is also the one that you can put on the skin after gardening, for example, but do be sure that you disinfect carefully - with soap and water - before doing so. Why? Well, in addition to this being sound first-aid advice, apparently the impact of this little flower is such that, if you put it on skin that isn't first cleaned, you can end up quickly closing a wound that might thereafter get infected. Note: I've only read this claim. As I'm an uber-disinfecter, I am happy to say that I have no first-hand experience. Point is, don't put it on cat scratches till after you wash your hands. (But aren't we all washing our hands all the time??)

Calendula flowers, you might be intrigued to know, are also used to dye fabric! How multi-purpose is that? While the balm produced from this floral infusion is on the golden end of the spectrum, I find it more honey-coloured than bright...

My calendula salve is completed with the addition of small-batch, Bulgarian lavender essential oil - an excellent anti-bacterial and anti-fungal (in truth, many EOs are, but this one has a particular reputation). It smells like an afternoon in the south of France. And then I throw in a bit of Neroli, cuz well, you know...

As always, if you would like to learn more about these salves, please visit my Etsy store.

A Few Good Deals

It's been a while since I've gone shopping (at least in stores). I've needed a few basics; the ones in my wardrobe are tired and I don't have much time to sew right now. So I decided to take a Friday lunch (rare treat) to hit up Winners (Cdn version of Marshall's).

I'm not usually as lucky as I was this time around. Must have arrived along with new stock and I could easily have continued my excursion, to good effect, if time hadn't precluded it.

I got this adorable jersey top, which feels very luxe and fits perfectly in the shoulders. And it's animal print. Need I say more? What I particularly like about it is the (hard to see) collar knot. It's also drapey and not fitted below the bust. Totally strange line for me. But flattering, for all that. And these days I'm disinclined to highlight my midsection...

Not bad for 25 bucks.

This T shirt was, like, 15 bucks and, sadly, it's nicer fabric than anything I've ever been able to purchase in our garment district, or online - and many of those yardages cost more than this completed top. The periwinkle is totally cheerful and, again, flattering. The shoulders are another perfect fit. You know they say if it doesn't fit in the shoulders, walk on. Can't tell you how much I subscribe to this philosophy. If those seams are falling toward the arms (or are too snug and pulling towards the neck), the outcome is just shoddy seeming.

I'm amazed to have found this large, rectangular scarf (really substantial) for $30.00. The pattern is beautiful - interesting without being loud - and it feels terrific. It's an excellent evening scarf for spring and summer, cuz it does cool down here after dinner.

These jeans are the exciting purchase. They're 3x1 and they'd have been 250USD had I got them in the actual NYC store. I do like that they were made in the US (nice to see a bit of manufacturing persists in the first world), hence the list price. I got them for 80.00.

The wash is awesome. There's a ton of stretch in these and they are quite snug, but so comfortable with the amount of natural give.

Best of all - they are truly high-waisted. None of this mid-rise stupidity masquerading as high. It's delightful to feel contained by jeans and not as if they're sliding away from one's muffiny parts.

You know that I wear jeans, like, constantly. I chic them up with good accessories, cute shoes (at work, anyway) and high-quality knits.

This over-exposed shot shows the imperfect placement of the pockets. You can't see it when these jeans are on. I mean, you'd have to stare at my ass for 5 minutes while I pointed it out, but I do find it interesting that they charge 250 bucks for workmanship I'd be dissatisfied to have produced myself.

Given how this denim fits, I'm willing to overlook it.

I also got a black waterfall cardigan - my others are really long in the tooth. It too fits perfectly in the shoulders. It's terrific in terms of the amount of fabric that falls over the full-bust and really interestingly knit (there's a sort of peacock or fan pattern on the back torso panel). Alas, black cardigans photo like shit, so I've opted to leave that one out.

All in, I spent $215.00 including tax. On the one hand, it's disturbing that I can buy so many things at such a low cost. If there's one thing I've learned over the past few months (well, I've been learning it for years), it's that quality costs. If you're going to pay people, presumably you have to charge. That's what the US-made jeans corroborate. On the other hand, I managed to score some very wearable, and useful basics at a price I can get with. And really, how is this any different from buying anything at the Gap or Banana Republic.

What's your take on this? Exploitative or smart shopping? Let's talk.

Bar Raval

A couple of weeks ago, my friend Nicole and I went for dinner at Woodlot. They kicked us out at 8, cuz we didn't have a reservation and that's how provincial this town is, whereupon Nic suggested that we head next door to Bar Raval, latest plaything of uber chef Grant van Gameren (he of the Black Hoof). At first, the guy who guards the door (and I'm not overstating this) advised us that we could not enter. The wait time had been 2 hours, since 6 pm. But when we reacted with good-humour, he invited us in. Just remember Ladies, good manners will get you everywhere. Especially if you're wearing heels and you have boobs.

Lord, the crowd. You know I don't love crazy lights when mixed with noise and wall-to-wall people. I had to suck in my stomach just to avoid the guy next to on top of me. Oh, it's scenester in a way the 45 year old in me finds utterly hilarious. The bartenders are fucking serious. Like, performance art, waxed moustache/neck tattoos/top knot/ TO hipster serious. One doesn't sit at Bar Raval. That's so North American. No, here we stand - as if we're at a pintxo joint in Barcelona. Alas, the awesome food costs about 8000 times as much as it would there. The drinks are awesome. They have 12 kinds of vermouth. One of the cocktails is a mixup of gin and turmeric - a collusion of plant and dirt (according to my husband).

How does my husband know what the cocktails taste like? Well, I made him go there for dinner with me on Friday night. Spur of the moment-like. I arrived at 5:30 to secure our standing zone. By 6, I was a chic sardine. But I was also 2 drinks in, so I didn't much care.

The food is freakin' terrific. Little mini-plates of delicious beef tenderloin and whole peppers, classic ham and bechamel croquettes, shrimp prepared with roe (how I don't exactly know - it's inside the exoskeleton), "kitchen bread" (whatever the fuck that means), perfectly-rendered squid in pork fat. Let's just say the eating was easy.

After 75 minutes, I could no longer stand (the fullness of my tummy might have had something to do with this) and we got the bill. In truth, I couldn't stand the crowd any longer. (Crazily, an exhausted couple, no doubt still in parenting denial, stood next to us with their infant in a carrier. They needed our square footage.) I knew it wouldn't be cheap - I mean, I'd read the menu and all of the reviews - but somehow I was still shocked that I'd spent 240 bucks on a meal for 2, that was gone in less than an hour and a half. (Yeah, half of it was the cost of the booze.)

I wish I could tell you I won't do it again. But there are some patio tables with chairs, peeps. I bet if I arrive at 5, I might just get one of those. Oh, who am I kidding? I'll stand.

Curio (Potions For Skeptics): Lip Balm A

I'm a lip balm connoisseur. I've been buying it in bulk since I was 13. Ok, I've been stashing it in bulk. Without it, I am insecure. Can't tell you how thrilled I am to be making my own. I now have a container in every room, every bag and just about every drawer. (What? That stuff likes to walk.)

No one's ever going to call it fancy. It is a staple, after all. Lip Balm A is a glidey, glossy potion, full of emollients. It wears well, lasts long, and it smells subtly minty delish.

Ingredient List:

Organic Beeswax, Organic Olea Europaea (Olive) Oil, Organic Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil,  Organic Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Peppermint Essential Oil

It takes few ingredients to make a great lip balm, which is why I'm always surprised by the unpronounceable crap that goes into most every drug store offering. Lip Balm A is a great base coat for your lipstick. It's terrific if you're out in the cold. I've been known to apply it to my wind-burnt cheeks in a pinch.

If you're interested to learn more about it, please check out my Etsy shop. Kisses.

Behind the Times

I estimate that spring is three weeks late this year, a very hard delay given that we've gone through two freakin' winters from hell. Mind you, I'm no longer skeptical that the summer may one day arrive, even if we're still wearing light coats in May.

My garden, finally, is making an appearance:

My dwarf lilac tree - a week from bloom (I hope!)

This is one of my OTG Krissie-planted house hyacinths. It's the only one that the squirrels haven't eaten!

My rose bushes LIVED! Given that they were planted last summer - and that so many plants died over the winter - this is a good sign...

For those of you in, well, anywhere else in the world, I realize this progress is small-time, but please join me in celebrating this profound turn of events.

Curio (Potions for Skeptics): Deodorant A

I've been a proponent of "natural deodorant" for many years. My latest foray has been with an "award-winning" Swiss product (Dr. Mist), which most definitely would have worked if the power of my will had anything to do with it. Alas, I was disappointed, bottle after bottle. The time was nigh to try a new brand, whereupon my mother just happened to call me up and say: Since you're doing skin care, would you make me some deodorant please? 

Part of me want to respond, exasperatedly, that one doesn't just make deodorant. Like, it's serious stuff. And then I thought about how much money I'd save (you know, over the course of the rest of my life), if I could produce it for myself. How I'd never have to recycle another container. And how utterly impressive I'd be at dinner parties. As you can imagine, that sealed the deal.

Enter Deodorant A:

What ensued was weeks of reading everything that's ever been written on the internet about making one's own deodorant. You'd be amazed by how popular an undertaking this happens to be. You'd also be amazed by how suboptimal most of the handmade recipes are (at least from my perspective). I don't want to be sticking my hands into a jar and rubbing oily stuff on my armpits, even if it is good for the world. I don't want a roll-on product that requires refrigeration lest it melt. I don't want something that's 90 per cent baking soda (not that I have any sensitivity to it, but some people do). I don't want a roll on that's so much like a candle that it tugs mercilessly at the skin when applied.

Handmade deodorant is not a quick win. It's a delicious alchemy of ingredients which one must truly understand in order to corral. The ingredients are not inexpensive. It takes time. Seriously, this is mad science. Y'all know I happily suggest that everyone make everything - that's how I roll. I'll even provide links. But take it from me, deodorant is a labour of love.

Deodorant A ingredients:

Organic Beeswax, Organic Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Organic / Social Enterprise Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda), Cetyl Alcohol (a fatty alcohol to improve glide), Olibanum (Frankincense) Essential Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Essential Oil

I use only the highest quality, unrefined shea butter, which is produced by a small collective in Ghana. Frankincense, a tree resin, is often lauded for its beautiful, clean scent (which isn't overly feminine) and lavender is an excellent anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. The corn starch and baking soda do some heavy-lifting in this formula and I'm amazed to say they are very effective.

So while we're on the topic, let's have a moment to discuss effectiveness. We are all different people with different biochemistries. A propos of this, I have to assume that Dr. Mist is working well for many or it wouldn't have won an award (and cost so much freakin' money in the health food store). My version has been tested on, let's say, 25 people so far (a teensy weensy sample size) and I'm frankly surprised that every single user has proactively commented that it works excellently for him or her. Could they be telling me things I want to hear? I doubt it. I mean, I've given every tester carte blanche to be frank and I've received some good constructive criticism on a variety of  other products. (Interestingly, all the Deo testers have come back asking for more.) Is it possible that I chose the perfect test group to meet my ends? It is. But they're all different peeps with unique jobs and lifestyles. They're not all spending the day doing the same thing.

Sure, I didn't just pop stuff into a pot and cast a spell. I've done lots of research on which components yield the best results, but I'm still surprised because it sure as hell works better than any other natural deodorant I've tried - and I've bought those!

Do I recommend it for someone who's going to sweat at the gym, who won't reapply it after the fact (and better still, after having showered)? Not so much. My husband has tested it on this account and he doesn't think it's up to mega-sweating without reapplication. He does think it's up to all kinds of regular sweating, however - like biking twenty minutes to buy dinner. I walk miles a day - during which I often sweat - but I smell fresh when I get where I'm going.

For want of access to affordable push-up, cardboard containers, Deodorant A is presented in clear plastic - an elegant, simple container that allows one to observe the utter prettiness of this potion. There's a useful, up-and-down twist mechanism which releases the deodorant in two directions. (It's reusable, fyi.)

If you'd like to know more, please check out my Etsy shop.

PS: If you're wondering why every product is named "____ A", it's because these are my first viable prototypes. When I make another Serum, for example, presumably it will be called Serum B - unless I decide to get vaguely creative, which wouldn't be a bad idea!

PPS: While I feel that Deo A is entirely unisex, my dad's getting in on the request action - he wants a "distinctly manly" version for his birthday. As such, my intention is to produce this product with cedarwood essential oil, for the guys. So please stay tuned for that.